Northern Rock's new boss is 'poker mad'
19th February, 2008
The man tasked with resurrecting Northern Rock from the brink of disaster has a strong penchant for poker, the Daily Mail is ominously reporting.
This weekend the government confirmed it was finalising plans to nationalise the beleaguered bank - a move that will bring an unfathomable £113 billion of Northern Rock assets under the Treasury's control.
But according to a new report in today's Daily Mail, Ron Sandler - the man whose job it is to restore the reputation of the Newscastle-based bank - is an avid gambling fan and enthusiast of Texas Hold'Em.
The newspaper said that friends of the 55-year-old insist the poker table is the only place he would ever consider taking risks - though that assurance may do little to quell the fears of already jittery shareholders and investors.
Mr Sandler is reportedly a close friend of Gordon Brown and has a proven track-record of succeeding in difficult tasks. He is widely credited with reviving the ailing Lloyd's of London insurance market in 1995.
No details have been released of his poker history.
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